Blue Elegance
by CaBu
Summary: Tsubomi meets an uninspired artist in search of the perfect shade of blue but when her Heart Flower begins to wilt, Sasorina takes advantage of the situation. HEARTCATCH, OC, SHORT STORY.


10/12/12- Edited with the name Hatori instead of Sango. Small change but whatever. Thanks for reading!

* * *

Blue Elegance

Summer was drawing near. Tsubomi could see it in the trees and smell it in the air. Ah, the smell of the season changing, it was impossible to describe. It was a scent that she could never forget. Summer promised more than just a few hot days in the house, it promised a new life for her. This year she had friends to spend her summer with, what could be better than that?

She had just finished eating her bento; a lunch that her mother had prepared for her with tender loving care. Right about now she was feeling like the luckiest girl in the world. Not only had she begun to change her social situation by making new friends but she also had a secret.

She was a Pretty Cure, she was Cure Blossom, a title that she didn't exactly want to begin with but had grown to adore. Not to mention her best friend, Erika, was blessed with the title, Cure Marine. There was no better team in her opinion…that was, until Itsuki joined their group. She was not only beautiful but also _strong_; she was the perfect addition to their group of Pretty Cure's. Cure Sunshine…she was someone she could look up to.

Summer this year would be one to remember, for sure.

"Tsubomi!"

She twitched to the sound of her name on Erika's tongue. Tsubomi reacted within the second and turned her head to the right. She saw Erika's large baby blue eyes staring back at her. She had a happy grin spread over her cheeks, was she up to something?

"Y-yes?" She hesitated to reply.

"Are you thinking about our summer break?" Erika asked with excitement.

Ah, how could Erika so easily read her mind? Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that she had been staring off into space. Tsubomi felt a rush of heat hit her cheeks, why did she have to do that? It made her look strange!

She let her eyes wander off of Erika and she looked back out at her surroundings. She and Erika sat in their usual spot outside the school. On the fresh green grass with the warm wind running by her face; it was more than lovely. By this time of year the flowers had begun to bloom in their most beautiful form. It was almost like being back at her Grandmother's botanical garden.

"It's going to be fun this year." Tsubomi said to the blue-haired beauty, the blush now fading from her face.

"Oh yeah," She was quick to nod to agree. "My Mom is taking us to vacation house on the beach!"

Ah that was right. The beach was a glorious thought right now. Tsubomi could hear the crashing ocean waves vibrate in her ear and smell the salty air. It was going to be perfect. Not to mention Erika's Mother was bringing the entire fashion club!

"We're going to get a lot of inspiration there!"

That was Itsuki's voice! Tsubomi arched her back and whirled her chin over her left shoulder. There Itsuki stood in all of her confidence. She hand her hand attached to her hip and a sweet smile glued to her lips. So they were becoming closer as friends? It was nice to know Itsuki was so keen on becoming close.

"Hey Itsuki!" Erika was first to jump up and greet the taller female.

"What's up?" Itsuki's eyes bounced from girl to girl.

"Just thinking about our summer adventure!" Erika pumped her balled up fist into the air.

"Ah," Itsuki shut her eyes and nodded her head. "I have to say, I'm excited about it too."

"The whole club is going to be there." Tsubomi felt a smile tugging at her lips and refused to fight the urge.

"Speaking of which," Itsuki's eyes fluttered open and she lifted her index finger into the air. "I wanted the whole group together and discuss what to bring," She continued as she slowly turned her back to them. "Let's meet up with them now."

"O-KAY!" Erika squealed.

Tsubomi pushed her body off the grass. She stood up straight before letting her open hands dusted off her school skirt. She then plucked her bento bag from the floor and took a few steps toward Itsuki. Before she could think twice about it, she saw Erika repeat her actions. She stepped toward Itsuki and waited to leave.

Itsuki led the group and she wasted no time in following. She clenched the drawstrings of her bento bag between her fingers and took light steps behind the taller female. Ah, a bunch of friends getting together to do things? Her luck just continued to get better. This was what she always wanted and now she had it. What more could she ask for?

"OOOH!"

All of Tsubomi's thoughts froze to the sound of Erika's voice. Her voice was coming from several feet _behind_ herself and Itsuki. Wait, wasn't she following them? The two girls were quick to turn around and address what Erika could be awing at. Tsubomi saw that the smaller female had detached herself from their group and attached herself to someone else's shoulder.

Erika hovered over the shoulder of another woman. Tsubomi felt her heart burst to life in her chest. What was Erika doing?! All the hairs on the back of her neck stood up straight and her eyes grow wide. Was Erika pestering another stranger? Oh geez, this was going to be hard to explain.

Tsubomi bolted over to Erika and threw both hands on the blue-haired female's shoulders. With one solid yank, she pulled her bestie from the stranger's shoulders and back. She tugged Erika inches away from the stranger and prepared himself for an apology.

"I'm so sorry!" Tsubomi's upper torso flew forward in a bow. "She didn't mean to!"

Her lifted her torso and stood up straight to address the stranger in the eye. When Tsubomi's eyes finally opened she saw a brown-haired female with shoulder length hair. Her wide, brown eyes stared back at her with confusion. She watched as the female pushed her body from the grassy hill she was seated on and stood up straight. Wait, why was she wearing a school uniform twice her size? She felt her eyebrow arch.

"No need." The female said with her hand lifted.

"What were you doing?" Itsuki asked Erika after finally joining the group.

"She was drawing a really pretty picture!" The feisty female was quick to point her index finger in the stranger's direction.

Drawing a picture? Tsubomi turned her attention back to the female standing in front of her. In her right hand she held a sketchbook, while placed above her ear was a pencil. It was now that she noticed the pencil smudge marks on the girl's white school top. So she was an artist?

"You're an artist?" Itsuki's voice broke her concentration.

The girl was hesitant when answering. "You could say that."

"What were you drawing?" Tsubomi felt her curiosity grow the better of her.

The female hesitated once again. She paused for a moment before bringing both hands to her chest. She lifted her sketchbook and flipped it open; she scanned through the first few pages before coming to a stop in the middle of the book. She pulled the front of the book backward and presented the page to the three girls.

Her body leaned inward. She allowed a few seconds for her eyes to adjust to the pencil marking on the paper. She squinted for a moment before the picture in front of her became clear. A sketch drawing of an ocean shore came into view. A large waterfall and cliffs in the background added depth to the picture while a full moon in the sky added grace.

"Wow!" Stars began to shine in Erika's eyes as she studied the picture.

"You drew that just now?" Itsuki pulled her eyes away from the book and looked back to the artist.

"Yes." She gave a short answer.

Tsubomi pulled her nose out of the sketchbook and smiled at the girl. "Its very good."

"Thanks but…"

Tsubomi tilted her head to one side. Did she just say _'but'_?

"I know its not that good."

"What?" Tsubomi felt her air stop pumping in her lungs.

"Why would you say that?" Itsuki frowned.

"I know that I'll just end up ruining it when I begin to paint the colors." She said with a heavy sigh. "I can never get the coloring right."

"Why not?" Erika asked.

The female shut her eyes and groaned to herself. She turned her back to the three girls before answering in a low tone, "I can't find the right color of blue. Without the proper shade of blue, I can't get the painting right."

She felt her heartbeat begin to slow. So that was the problem? It seemed simple enough and yet, she had no idea how to paint, so what gave her the right to say it was simple? Gardening also _sounds_ easy but it's actually a skill that Tsubomi took years to refine. Perhaps painting a picture was the same.

"Not to mention that the end of the year exhibit is coming up in our art club." She said with a frown. "I want to enter but…"

"It can't be that hard!"

She flinched. She turned her head to the right to see Erika standing beside her, hands attached to the hip.

"What?" The female was caught off guard by Erika's sudden statement and turned back around to face her.

"We can help you find it!" Erika lifted her fist into the air before throwing it back to her chest. "I'm sure there aren't _that_ many shades of blue to go through! We'll also get you into that exhibit!"

"You'll help me?" The woman's jaw dropped.

"Of course!" Erika shut her eyes and beamed.

"We don't mind." Itsuki took a single step forward. "How about you, Tsubomi?"

She knew the answer right away. She wasn't going to deny someone help! This would be fun after all; she had never really tried her hand at painting. Tsubomi was quick to break into a smile and nod her head firmly.

"Of course."

"My name is Hatori Miyazaki."

"Nice to meet you, Hatori." The tallest female bowed. "I'm Itsuki."

"I know." Hatori replied. "Student council president."

"Haha," She lifted her arm behind her head and began to release a gaggle of nervous giggles. "I suppose you would recognize me."

"Erika!" The blue daisy shouted out from the left.

Tsubomi put on her best and sweetest smile before speaking in a soft tone. "I'm Tsubomi."

"Well, let's not sit around!" Erika announced with her arm directed toward the sky. "Let's go to your house, Tsubomi and figure this out!"

"Why my house?" She felt a small drop of sweat trickle down the side of her face.

"It is pretty convenient." Itsuki said with a grin.

"You guys don't mind?" Hatori asked with a set of wide eyes.

"Not at all." She shook her head from side to side. "We can call the girls later about the summer outing." She said, looking back to her companions.

Hatori lifted her hand into the air before speaking in a worried tone, "You had plans to do something already?" She asked, her eyebrows turning upside down. "I'm sorry. Then forget about helping me, we can do that later."

"Oh no!" Tsubomi was quick to intervene. "It's alright. We want to help you."

"But…"

"No _'buts'_!" Erika darted forward, swinging her arm around Hatori's shoulders. "We're going to help you out! We already promised!"

"It shouldn't take long." Itsuki reassured the artist with a smooth voice. "Besides our problem is nothing a phone call won't fix."

"O…kay…"

Erika tightened her grip around Hatori's neck and winked. "Then let's get going!"

XoXoX

Sasorina hated failure. Not only did it dent her pride, it made her look bad. And there was nothing worse than looking bad. How was she supposed to please her superior, Dune, if she couldn't get rid of three meddling girls?

Pretty Cure. She shuttered at the name.

It was more than disgusting, it was wretched! And to add salt to her wounds, she had let those Pretty Cure's get away with finding a third member. How disgraceful! Cure Sunshine…she was going to pose a higher threat then the pervious two. She had to make up for her failure.

Sasorina stood in the park, her back rested against the yellow play equipment. Kumojacky and Cobraja stood at her side as always. If there was ever anyone she could rant to, it was them. They were they the only ones who understood the frustration that was Pretty Cure.

"Damn," Sasorina snarled as she began to chew on her thumbnail. "Now there are three of them."

"And who's fault was that?" Cobraja asked with a single eyebrow lifted.

"Quiet!" She whirled around to face the blue-haired male.

"We're all in a pinch, if you ask me." Kumojacky said with a snarl. "It's going to take more effort than ever to get rid of them."

"They're getting stronger with every fight." Cobraja let his eyes wander to the other male.

"Exactly." Kumojacky nodded. "And Dune isn't getting anymore patient."

"I'll settle this." Sasorina pushed her back off of the jungle gym. "I'll get those three this time."

"Oh?" Cobraja asked in a high pitch. "That should be interesting."

"Good luck." Kumojacky waved his hand back and forth in the air, dismissing Sasorina.

"I won't need it."

XoXoX

Tsubomi allowed the closet to shut behind her. She whirled around; her paint set in hand, and turned to her group of friends. She presented them with her sweetest smile before she began to approach them. She was sure that they could find the perfect shade of blue with her old paint set. Tsubomi looked to see that Erika and Itsuki had covered the carpet with that morning's newspaper. Good, now they wouldn't make a mess.

"Here we go." Tsubomi chirped as she dropped to her knees.

"Great!" Erika clapped her hands together in delight. "Now let's get down to work!"

"What do we do first?" Itsuki turned to Hatori.

Tsubomi felt her eyes dart over toward her newest friend. She saw that Hatori had her head tipped downward, her focus on the small paint set. She watched as the new girl reached her hand out and touched the practically new set. She traced her index finger over one of the thin brush handles and sighed.

"What's the matter?" She asked.

"I'm nervous." Hatori admitted after a short moment of silence.

"Nervous?" Erika cocked her head to the left.

"What if I mess this up?" She said in a low tone. "It will ruin the picture I have."

"You won't mess it up," Itsuki managed to crack a small smile. "You are your own worst critic. Its not as bad as you think it will be."

"I never get this part right." Hatori spoke as she inhaled a deep breath through her nostrils. "That's why all my pictures go unfinished."

Tsubomi felt her heart wince. She squinted her eyes at Hatori and forced herself to ask the question that she felt her heart pondered. "When was the last time you finished a picture, Hatori?"

"It's been months." Hatori admitted while her eyes shut. "About six months."

"Six months?!" Erika leaned back with shock.

"_Erika_!" Tsubomi was quick to jerk her nose in the feisty female's direction.

"That's too long!" Ignoring her call, Erika moved forward moved closer to Hatori. "I couldn't imagine not finishing my designs for more than one day!"

Tsubomi watched as Hatori's eyebrow twitched before she began to respond, "It's not something I'm proud of."

Itsuki cleared her throat, gathering everyone's attention. "But you'll never get any better if you don't practice."

"But every time I try, it just looks worse." Hatori hung her head, refusing to look anyone in the eye. "I honestly believe I'm just getting worse."

"That doesn't make much sense!"

Tsubomi felt her back arch and her heart stop. She turned to see Erika addressing Hatori. The blue-haired female had both eyes shut and her tiny chest pushed outward in pride. She pouted her bottom lip and lifted her index finger into the air. She began to wave her finger back and forth and continued to speak.

"You can't get _worse_ at anything if you do it often enough." Erika said without hesitation.

"But you haven't seen my work after I've tried." Hatori lifted her chin and turned to look at Erika.

"Then show me."

Tsubomi saw the look of shock appear on Hatori's face. Her jaw dropped several inches and her eyebrows jumped to the top of her forehead. She felt her head shrink down between her shoulders. Oh boy, this wasn't going to end well, she could _feel_ it.

"I don't want to." The brunette broke her silence.

"Then how can we tell if you're getting any worse?" Erika's right eye opened up.

"You don't understand," Hatori's eyebrows fell down her forehead, creating a glare. "If I'm embarrassed of my work then why would I show it to anyone?"

"You don't have to show us," Itsuki lifted her hand in an effort to settle the conversation.

"But I want to see!" With both eyes now open, Erika jumped in the middle of the circle.

"I'm not showing you anything!" The girl snapped.

"Come on," Erika leaned in to the artist, equipped with her trademark grin. "I won't say anything mean!"

Tsubomi felt the urge to hide her face behind her hands. This wasn't the type of situation she was used to. The thought of confrontation and fighting didn't settle well in her gut. Ugh, why could Erika just drop the subject? She was so stubborn.

"How would you like it if I asked to see one of your worst designs?" Hatori barked back, presenting an agitated frown.

Erika backed her face away for a moment and paused. "Hm," She lifted her hand to her chin. "I wouldn't mind showing you some designs from a few years ago."

"Ugh!" Hatori lifted her hands to her scalp and began to pull at her hair. "Never mind!"

"So you don't want to see them?" Erika asked.

"No!" Hatori pulled her hands out of her hair and jerked her chin to the left.

"You can always make it better!" Erika continued to speak, beyond everyone's desires. "Bad art can always be fixed!"

Tsubomi felt her hand slap her cheek. Oh no, that was it, she was sure of it. Erika had once again stepped beyond her boundaries while trying to make an attempt at being nice. It was a bad habit that the daisy had even presented when they first met.

"Are you saying my art is bad?!" Hatori leapt up from her seat on the ground.

"But it can be fixed!" She shut her eyes and smiled.

"How dare you!" Hatori shouted.

Tsubomi opened her mouth to say something to correct the situation when Hatori sprinted passed her. The wind of her sudden run caused her hair to fly over her eyes. She looked back to Erika to see her flinching at the sound of the bedroom door slamming. Tsubomi lifted her index finger to her face and pushed aside the hairs that had been caught on her nose.

Ah, it happened again but she was sure that Erika didn't mean what she said. The younger female just had a strange way of expressing herself. She never met any real harm; it was just her quick mouth that got her into trouble.

"Do you think she'll be okay?" Itsuki turned and looked to Tsubomi.

"I hope so." She removed her hand from her cheek. "She seemed really upset."

"I didn't mean what I said," Erika spoke up in a subdued tone. "It came out wrong."

"Maybe you should follow her," Itsuki advised. "To make sure she's alright."

Without another word, Erika rose to her feet. Tsubomi watched as she gathered herself together and looked toward the exiting door. She felt a tingling in her legs, telling her to get up along with Erika. She didn't think twice about standing up with Erika and approached the blue-haired beauty with concern.

"I'll go with you." Tsubomi said.

"No."

Wait, did Erika just say no? Tsubomi felt her eyebrows touch the top of her forehead. She tilted her head to one side and watched as a solid expression spread across Erika's face. So she wanted to fix this on her own?

"I'll be right back."

Tsubomi lifted her two hands to her chest. She kept her eyes glued to her back as she began to run for the bedroom door. Erika reached the door and swung it wide open before running through it. The door slammed behind her, leaving Tsubomi alone with Itsuki.

"Do you think she'll make it worse?" She had to ask.

"Hm," Itsuki hummed for a moment before replying. "No. She can handle it. Let's just wait for her."

Tsubomi let her eyes look to the newspaper-covered floor. "Okay…"

XoXoX

Erika could feel the burning sensation of her muscles stretching as she ran. She could also feel the heaviness in her chest as she inhaled and exhaled at a rapid rate. She wasn't sure where Hatori could have gone but she had an idea. Where else would an artist go than a pond? She knew the small pond in the park was the most perfect place for an artist such as Hatori would go. It was worth a look.

Erika dashed around the left street block that led to the park. She could see the park's yellow play equipment becoming closer with each step. She knew she was close. The red and orange clouds hung low in the sky while the sun began to set.

As she came closer to the park's small pond area a figure sitting on a park bench came into view. She knew it was Hatori.

Her heart began to beat faster. Was she nervous about her apology? She had to admit to herself, saying she was sorry wasn't something she enjoyed doing. She knew that her words didn't come out the way they sounded in her head. It was all just a misunderstanding, just a simple misunderstanding. She would explain herself in the proper manner.

Her feet came to a slow stop as she neared toward the bench. She stepped slowly toward the bench and placed her hand on the backrest of the metal chair. She leaned forward to see Hatori with her head tipped downward. The short strands of her bangs hung over her eyes and hid her true expression. Was she crying?

"Hatori," Erika was first to speak.

Said girl lifted her head to the sound of her voice. She turned her head to the right, allowing their eyes to meet. Erika watched as Hatori's wide, brown eyes stared her down. It was apparent now that she was not crying but she was hurt. She could see it in the way she sat, just the aura around her told the entire story.

Erika proceeded and took a seat beside Hatori. She placed her delicate, pale hands in her lap and continued to stare at Hatori. By this time, the artist had turned away from her and looked back out to the pond's calm surface.

"Do you know why I wear a school uniform twice my size?"

Erika felt her heart jump. Her eyes widened and yet stayed glued to Hatori's moving lips.

"Um…" She was at a loss for words.

"Because I'm afraid." Hatori said in a slow, low tone. "I'm afraid to show the world who I really am."

"But…" She opened her mouth but still fumbled with her words.

"I'm so terrified people will reject the true me, that I hide the best I can." Hatori's eyes stayed on the pond's surface. "It's the same way with my art. I have never showed anyone a finished piece."

Erika felt her head bob up and down. Things were beginning to make quick sense. Hatori's exploding reaction to sharing her work, her choice in clothing sizes, it all came together in one single statement. But what could she do to help Hatori? Was there anything she could say or do to make things better?

"What did you mean?"

She flinched, Hatori had changed the subject.

"Do you think my art is bad?"

Her heart sank. Was that the impression Hatori had received while back at Tsubomi's house? She inhaled a deep breath through her nose before finally letting her eyes release themselves from Hatori. She looked out to the light shining off the pond water.

"Of course not." Erika finally spoke.

Hatori lifted her head and spoke again, "Then why did you say bad art can always be fixed?"

"When I used to draw my designs," Erika said in a slow, calm tone. "I would always make a lot of mistakes." She could feel Hatori's eyes on her as she continued. "But I always found a way to cover them up or make them even better."

The bench fell into a silence. The sounds of small birds and crickets chirping in the air caused her to feel relaxed. The soothing sounds brought back memories of Tsubomi. She had learned a lot from being with Tsubomi. Remembering the first time they met, it was a memory that almost made her laugh. Misunderstandings… they are so easily solved when you talked it out. There was no way she would let Hatori go without letting her know the truth.

"Even if you make a mistake," Erika tore her eyes away from the pond and looked back to Hatori. "There is always time to fix it. No matter what."

Erika gazed into Hatori's eyes and put on her best smile. She watched as the anger and sadness lifted from Hatori's face. Instead her cheeks began to turn a bright shade of pink. Erika felt a chuckle tickle her throat, had she made Hatori feel better?

"Ah, I thought I felt a wilting Heart Flower!"

Erika flinched _hard_. She jerked her chin upward to look beyond Hatori's shoulders. Standing behind the bench just a few feet away in distance was Sasorina. She stood with her arms crossed over her bust and a wicked smile spread across her cheeks. She felt a sudden hole grow in her chest. Was she was scared for Hatori?

"Desertrian! Come out!"

Before she could react with any of her strength, Sasorina acted. A bright light consumed the small park bench area. She released a shriek and fell to one side. The sound of Hatori screaming out let her know what was happening.

The bright light that had blinded er soon vanished. Erika removed her arms from her eyes and looked upward. A blurry vision came into shape; a giant Desertrian appeared before her. Taking shape from Hatori's sketchbook and pencil, the Desertrian threw its head back and began to screech.

"Hatori!" Erika grunted.

"I just want to make beautiful art!"

She flinched at the sound of the Desertrian's horrid voice. No, she wasn't going to let this happen. She jumped backward and placed her hand on her chest.

Wait. Where was Coffret? Damn if there was any a time she needed him, it would be now. Erika watched as the Desertrian threw its arms into the air and screamed for a second time. She threw her hands over her ears in a small effort to block out the shrilling voice.

What was she going to do? She needed Coffret to transform!

"Get her Desertrian!" Sasorina released a loud laugh.

With one swift swipe the Desertrian swung its large hand in her direction. Erika reacted in no time flat by jumping to the left. Her side scrapped against the course gravel beneath her. She then jumped to her feet and prepared herself for the second blow.

"Why can't I become a great artist?!"

Her eyes grew in size as the Desertrian made its second move. It balled its hand into a rock-hard fist and lifted it into the air. With a quick jerk downward, the monster slammed its fist down into the ground. The force of the slam sent Erika backward. She tumbled legs over head and rolled backward. Gathering what strength she had, she dug her heels into the dirt, stopping her tumble.

She recovered within a matter of seconds and lifted herself to her feet. She gripped both of her fists and waited for the next move. There was no way she could keep this up for long. She needed Coffret and she needed him _now_.

"Erika!"

That voice was like heaven entering her ears. Erika threw her chin to the right and looked to see her small fairy partner approaching fast. At his side were Tsubomi, Itsuki, Chypre and Potpourri. Ah it was just the sight she needed to see.

"A Desertrian!" Tsubomi shouted after coming close enough to Erika.

"Its Hatori!" Erika replied. "Coffret," She then turned to her fairy with a determined stare. "Let's go!"

"Right!"

"Precure! Open my heart!"

XoXoX

"Marine Dive!"

Cure Marine landed directed her heels at her target and with every ounce of strength in her legs she slammed downward. The heels of her shoes hit the Desertrian with full force. It let out a scream that made her ears ring. She allowed the recoil of the attack the force her backward, into the air. She let her legs flip over her and she performed a small flip before hitting the dirt below.

Cure Marine jerked her chin upward and let her eyes meet the Desertrian. It was wailing in pain as it reached its hands to its forehead and held the soft spot that she had just attacked. Good, she got a good hit.

Cure Marine turned to look at her friends, Cure Blossom and Cure Sunshine. The two females stood by and waited for the Desertrian's next move. She knew this was the most dangerous part of the job, the monster's following reaction after an attack. Her experience told her that the Desertrian would become enraged and fight back _twice_ as hard.

"Why can't I let anyone see my finished art?!"

She flinched. The sounds of Hatori's suffering only caused her heart to ache. The sound of anyone's despair was heart breaking. She couldn't look at this Desertrian as a person she once knew; it would only making fighting it harder. She had to see a monster, a beast that was sent here from an evil place to hurt innocent people. If she saw the truth beyond the monster, she knew she couldn't fight with all her might. But she had a responsibility to the people of Earth. She wouldn't let anyone harm the place she called home.

The Desertrian, now fully recovered from its past injury, was now back on its feet, angrier than ever. It lifted its pencil and swung it like a sword. It jabbed the sharp end of the pencil at Cure Blossom, causing her to retreat. She watched as Blossom darted from left to right, avoiding every stabbing attempt. This was the perfect time to make a move while it was distracted.

Cure Marine dashed toward the Desertrian. She moved her right hand outward, away from her body. She felt her mind and body become one, focusing her immediate energy into her palm. She ran at the monster from behind and felt the warmth in her body move into her arm. She drew closer to the Desertrian as a small blue light began to glow in her hand. She felt the distance between herself and the monster becoming smaller now was the time for her to unleash her attack. She threw her arm forward and pushed out as much energy she had.

"Marine Impact!"

She could see the flash of blue energy leave her arm and shot out. Before the attack could be directed to the monster, she watched as the Desertrian whipped out its weapon and deflect the attack. Her ball of blue energy bounced off the oversized pencil and flew through the park. Cure Marine's jaw dropped open with surprise and removed her eyes from the monster.

The sound of the Desertrian caused her to jerk her head to the left. The monster had lifted its pencil over its head and directed the sharp point right at her. The beast released a loud screech, a battle cry that she had heard on more than one occasion.

"Sunflower Protection!"

A sudden burst of yellow light flooded her vision. The warmth of Cure Sunshine standing before her calmed her beating heart. She watched as Cure Sunshine released a small barrier to shield her from the Desertrian's on coming attack. The large pencil slammed into Sunshine's shield and bounced backward and caused the monster to fumbled backward.

Cure Sunshine pulled back her shield and turned to face her. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, thanks." She said with a shallow nod.

"We have to take care of this, now." Sunshine said in a flat tone. "Marine, you should be the one to do it."

"What?" Her jaw dropped and a bead of sweat trickled down the side of her face. "Why me?"

"You two have more in common than you would like to admit." She spoke while keeping her eyes on the beast. "Only Hatori doesn't have your confidence. She needs your help."

She turned her attention away from Cure Sunshine and stared back at the monster that once was Hatori. No, she couldn't see this monster as Hatori; it would only hurt _her_ in the long run. If she began to see every Desertrian as a human she wasn't sure if she could fight with all of her might. And yet…

What was it about _this_ monster?

"Blossom Screw Punch!"

She felt a breath exhale over her lips. She shook her head back and forth and tried her best to return her attention to the battle. Sunshine was right, this couldn't continue and she had to be the one to put an end to it.

Cure Marine looked at the Desertrian to see it falling backward from Cure Blossom's attack. The large monster fell onto its backside while it swirled around in confusion. This was it; this was the chance she needed to revive Hatori to her true self.

"Desertrian, get up!" Sasorina shouted from the sideline. "Hurry!"

"Marine!" Cure Sunshine jerked her head around to face her. "Now!"

"Right." She nodded.

XoXoX

"_Blue Forte Wave!"_

Warmth. She felt the world around her grow soft and warm. Where was she? Had she been dreaming? If this wasn't a dream then could she be dead? No, the last thing she could recall was being beside Erika. Unless she fainted…

She could hear voices all around her, speaking to her and about her. She could hear her name begin called but she didn't react. No, she didn't want to leave this world of warmth. If this was a dream, she wanted it to last forever. The most perfect dream she could ever have. But then…

She felt her eyelids begin to twitch. She wanted to open them. She could feel the breath in her lungs flow slowly in and out, so she was alive. Now she could feel her eyebrows begin to quiver. She was waking up. Her eyes finally began to pull open.

A beautiful blue light surrounded her. She could make out a face and body but mostly she could recognize the blue color that surrounded the body before her. What a beautiful shade of blue…it was the most gorgeous shade of blue she had ever seen. More than baby blue, deeper than the sky during sunrise, she couldn't describe it she just knew that it was perfect. The perfect blue elegance.

The heaviness over her eyelids began to take over once again. Was she going to fall asleep again? If she did, she could only hope she would return to that peaceful, warm place, but this time along with this perfect shade of blue.

XoXoX

"Come on!"

Tsubomi felt her feet rushing to keep up with Erika. Beside her Itsuki ran, trying her best to keep up. What was with the rush? She saw Erika feet in front of her, with her arm extended to the sky. She waved her arm back and forth in her best effort to encourage a faster run.

"Erika, the art show isn't going anywhere!" Itsuki cupped her hand to her mouth and called out.

"But I want to see Hatori's portrait!" Erika was quick to withdraw her arm and pout her bottom lip.

Tsubomi couldn't blame Erika for her rush. She wanted to see the final painting as well. After a whole twenty-four hour waiting period, it was almost too much to wait any longer. She closed the last few feet that separated her from Erika and stopped her sprint. Itsuki was soon to follow.

"So she found the right shade of blue? I can't wait." Itsuki said with a wide smile.

"Then what are we waiting for?!" Erika whimpered with excitement. "Let's go!"

Tsubomi, Erika and Itsuki wasted little time at arriving at the school's art exhibit. So this was what it all came down to, a small booth in the end of the year show. It was about time. She felt Erika's hand fall over her own. With a final tug, Erika pulled her along. A squeal escaped from her lungs, as she was drug along.

The vision of white booths soon came into view. Tsubomi knew they were nearing the exhibit. Her eyes grew wide as they neared and inside, she felt her childish curiosity explode. Erika tugged along the way, passing by each booth until she spotted Hatori's small booth.

Erika released her hand and used the last bit of her strength to carry herself to Hatori's booth, her legs burning from the sudden sprint. Instead she jogged the remaining feet until she reached the booth. She could feel Itsuki behind her all the way.

Tsubomi looked beyond Hatori's shoulders to see the piece of art hanging on the booth. Her eyes grew with surprise and she covered her mouth before awing. It was a familiar ocean portrait, colored with the prettiest shade of blue she had ever seen…and yet, it was familiar, where had she seen this bright shade of blue before?

"Like it?" Hatori said with a wide smile.

"Its so pretty!" Itsuki said with delight. "You did a great job!"

"That shade of blue," Tsubomi was quick to add to Itsuki's statement, "Its perfect!"

"That blue looks familiar…" Erika lifted her finger to her chin and hummed. "Where have I seen it before?"

"I saw it in a dream." Hatori shut her eyes and announced with pride. "It's the most perfect shade of blue I've ever seen!"

"What do you call your portrait?" Itsuki asked with a smile.

With all her strength and pride, she answered in a simple voice, "Blue forte wave."

End.

"_It's when you want to cry, just look around and you'll find that's your friends will always be right by your side."-_ Song of Tomorrow (English version), Heartcatch Precure.


End file.
